In order to treat diseases such as acute diverticulitis, rectal cancer, intestinal injuries and inflammatory bowel diseases it is often necessary to remove part of the bowel and create stomas. To do this, the ends of the bowel formed by removal of a part of bowel are sutured to the patient's abdominal skin. The two ends are sutured open in order that the inside of the bowel is accessible in the patient's abdomen. In the sense of this invention, the stoma represents the open end of the bowel which is flush with the patient's abdominal skin. This treatment approach may be temporary or permanent and causes many restrictions in terms of quality of life and functioning of the digestive system.
In colostomies (stomas of the colon) and ileostomies (stomas of the small bowel), normal intestinal function is interrupted and food bolus crosses the abdominal wall through the stoma. Food bolus then fills a stoma bag which needs to be emptied regularly. Although every effort is made to maintain the integrity of the bowel and tissues and to treat and reduce patients' pain and discomfort, in many cases the stoma causes increased patient distress and suffering. In addition, some patients with ileostomies require parenteral nutrition (i.e. by the intravenous route) because of the inadequate absorption of oral nutrients as a result of food bolus passing an insufficient length of bowel. Long term parenteral nutrition may be associated with side effects including infectious complications and/or liver disturbances. In addition it requires long term hospital or at home hospitalization resulting in high costs. In addition, patients' quality of life is reduced leading to a sedentary lifestyle and repeated stoma care.
Once no risk of infection of the peritoneum remains the two parts of the bowel are reconnected to each other; the downstream part through which food bolus did not pass throughout the time when bowel transit was interrupted will have degenerated, complicating full convalescence and a return of normal bowel transit allowing normal nutrient absorption.
Under these circumstances it is important to identify effective means of improving the quality of life of patients with stomas.
Document WO 2009/046997A2 describes a device for circulating food bolus intended to be implanted into the patient's body in order to enable the bolus to leave the body through a stoma, or to circulate between two portions of bowel connected by the device, implanted into the patient's body. This type of device causes problems with infection if food bolus leaks into the patient's body. Implantation of the device requires a surgical procedure which is not without danger in a patient who is already weakened by a disease.